1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to monitoring vital signs and in particular to wearable or portable monitors.
2. Discussion of Background
A high proportion of the human population has a significant risk for heart disease. Heart disease is the leading killer in western society and is a significant component of medical costs. Avoiding heart disease involves identification of who is at risk and then taking the appropriate steps to reduce that risk. To identify who is at risk, most people simply get by with an occasional physical examination to determine the extent to which they are at risk or if their risk factor has changed for the worse. Others, however, would benefit by more frequent evaluation of their major vital signs, especially if their risk factors cannot be reduced. Vital signs include body temperature, electrocardiographic data, blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, and oxymetry data.
There are a number of monitors that are known and being sold commercially. Most of these detect and record the heartbeat of the wearer over an interval; some also analyze it to determine if the heartbeat is in some way abnormal. Those that record heartbeat have the capability of transferring the recorded data to a computer for analysis and evaluation, perhaps by direct electrical connection to a computer or perhaps by transmission over a telephone line.
Kelly, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,604, teach a portable device for monitoring vital signs of a patient. The device is intended for bedside use in a hospital and monitors electrocardiogram signals, body temperature, blood pressure, respiration, pulse and other parameters. Additionally, the device includes a communications capability to a local area network when the monitor is placed in a docking station.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,365,935, Righter, et al. teach an even more portable monitoring device in the form of a watch for monitoring ECG signals by an individual who is not in a hospital. In one embodiment, a modem can be attached to the device for burst mode transmission to a receiver at a doctor's office or other remote location.
Baker, et al. describe a heart monitor in U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,401, worn by an individual known to have a heart condition and who is fitted with a pacemaker. The device communicates electrically with the user's pacemaker to cause the latter to respond to the wearer's needs.
In another wearable monitor disclosed by Hutcheson, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,132, data related to heart rate and pulse can be transmitted via a modem for display on, for example, a computer. The blood pressure is determined by inflating a cuff worn by the individual.
Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,601, Tranjan, et al. disclose a portable heart monitor that compares the sensed heartbeat with normal heart wave forms to identify erratic ones and provide real-time warning of the erratic heartbeats. A warning signal of an erratic heartbeat is given.
However, there appear to be no known devices that are worn by a user and that both sense data related to the wearer's vital signs and report anomalous data immediately to those who diagnose anomalous vital signs so that assistance can be provided as soon as possible if necessary. There remains, therefore, a need for improvements in vital sign monitoring systems.